Wednesday, February 22, 2017

You are invited: Unbound Visual Arts Exhibition at Boston City Hall, supported by WGS!

Unbound Visual Arts (UVA), a UNESCO/UNITWIN Network Affiliate, has been invited to present the Exhibition Earned: Women in Business & Labor at Boston City Hall from 8 March to 6 April 2017. The Opening Reception will be in the Scollay Square Gallery (third floor) on Thursday March 16th from 5 to 7 pm. Earlier that afternoon, the Hubert H. Humphrey Program at Boston University is holding a Panel Discussion with presentations by Humphrey Fellows and BU Faculty on gender equality in the workforce around the globe (Piedmonte Room fifth floor). These events will be in celebration of both International Women's Day-8 March and Women's History Month-March 2017. Boston University's Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Program is a cosponsor of the UVA Exhibition.

Look forward to seeing you there!

***Update***

The Boston City Hall Exhibition presented by Unbound Visual Arts (UVA) and the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture on the roles of women in business and labor hosted a record number of visitors!

The Exhibition that was launched on March 8, International Women's Day, continued through Women's History Month, highlighting also the themes of women's sacrifices, challenges faced, and roles in leadership and innovation.

See photographs of the Opening Reception at this link:
https://www.flickr.com/pho…/unitwin/albums/72157680739544530


Drawn from the UVA Exhibition website:
Unbound Visual Arts
Ruth Rieffanaugh, President
Martin J. Walsh, Mayor and Julie Burros, Chief of Arts and Culture
Earned: Women in Business and Labor 
March 8 - April 6, 2017
An exhibition about the roles of women in business and labor and their sacrifices, challenges, leadership, and innovation
Exhibition Design by Alexandra Kontsevaia Peterson and
Graphic Design by Cait Stuff
Scollay Square Gallery, Boston City Hall, Boston, MA 02108

UVA artists: Nancer Ballard, Nancy Hall Brooks, Linda Clave, Anita Helen Cohen, Jennifer Jean Costello, Lynda Goldberg, Sarah Iwany, Nhung Mackey, Aline Martini, Brenda Gael McSweeney, Diane Sheridan, Maria Termini, Andrea Zampitella, Ellen Zellner

with support from the Mayor's Office for Women's Advancement, the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program at Boston University, the Boston Women's Heritage Trail, the Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Program (WGS) at Boston University, and Gender & International Development Initiatives of the Brandeis Women's Studies Research Center (GaIDI/WSRC)

Opening Reception with live music and short artist talks - Thursday, March 16th 5-7 pm (third floor) preceded by Panel Discussion & Presentation by the BU Humphrey Fellowship Program on Gender Equality in the Workforce 4-5 pm in the Piedmonte Room (fifth floor)

There is also a special website related to Worker's Rights & Equality here
More about Women's History Month here
And about United Nations International Women's Day 2017 here

Unbound Visual Arts (UVA), a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is organizing an exhibition related to the historic theme of “women in business and labor” at Boston City Hall’s Scollay Square Gallery, One City Hall Square, Boston, MA 02201. This exhibition is under the supervision and jurisdiction of the City of Boston's Arts and Culture Office. Learn more about UVA's thematic curated exhibitions here.

The purpose of the exhibition, through art created by today’s artists as well as other relevant components (documents, books, music, videos, artifacts, poetry etc.) is to provide the exhibition audience with an opportunity to learn and experience this important historical topic and its relevancy to modern times.

The exhibition coincides with Women’s History Month in the United States and International Women’s Day on March 8th, which has a 2017 theme of “Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50:50 by 2030.” The exhibition will run from March 8 - April 6, 2017. The opening reception on Thursday March 16th, 2017 from 5:00 - 7:00 pm with live music, refreshments, and short artist talks is free and open to the public.


Cover: Brighton-Allston Historical Society

Statement prepared by the Curator, John Quatrale, for this exhibition:

"The United States has a long history of women in the paid workforce and in business. But, full inclusion ‘in the world of work’ and participation has taken almost three centuries for improvements to occur and for women to begin to achieve gender equality in participation and benefits. Those successes and achievements have included higher pay, job appreciation, better working conditions, more opportunities, and increased value to their local, state and national economies. Those changes were often the result of severe hardships and sacrifices by women of all races, nationalities, backgrounds, education, and regions. They challenged laws and regulations as well as social standards and stereotypes and organized women to change public opinion. As a result of that hard work and commitment, organizations and businesses began to slowly change all across the United States and in many nations and eventually they were codified progressive measures by governments. More women have now become empowered to contribute to their personal, family and community well-beings in the United States and throughout the world. These improvements are manifested in many areas of today’s society such as the family, corporations, education, sports, healthcare, arts and culture, and the military. Despite these changes, however, the rights and health of women continue to be threatened in the United States and internationally. ”


Save the Date: UNESCO/UNITWIN Network and UVA Cosponsoring GaIDI (Gender & International Development Initiatives) Event on 8 March 2017!

GaIDI (Gender & International Development Initiatives) Presents
An International Women’s Day event at 
The Brandeis Women’s Studies Research Center:

Readings from Black Anthology: Adult Adoptees Claim Their Space, by the An-Ya Project, then Performance by Susan Harris O’Connor

Introduction to the An-Ya Project and Brief Readings by Dr. Mei-Mei Ellerman, WSRC Resident Scholar-Chair of GaIDI, and Janet M. Price, PSYD, contributor to the Black Anthology (co-edited by Diane R. Christian, Susan Harris O’Connor and Mei-Mei Ellerman)

Performance by Susan Harris O’Connor, MSW, award-winning writer- of a monologue on “Identity” from the Harris Narratives: An Introspective Study of a Transracial Adoptee (Sue is African-American, Seminole)

Closing Remarks by Dr. Brenda Gael McSweeney, WSRC Resident Scholar and UNESCO/UNITWIN Director, Boston University’s Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Program 

Q&A Session and Book Signing

Date:  March 8, 2017
Time: 12:30-2:30 pm
Place: Liberman-Miller Lecture Hall, The Brandeis Women’s Studies Research Center (WSRC), 515 South Street, Waltham, MA 02453 [contact: mellerma@brandeis.edu]

Sponsor:  GaIDI (Gender & International Development Initiatives) / WSRC
Co-sponsors:  The Brandeis Women’s Studies Research Center; Brandeis Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program; UNESCO/UNITWIN Network on Gender, Culture & Development at BU’s Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Program; Unbound Visual Arts, Inc.                         


OPEN to the PUBLIC! Parking behind WSRC. 
Accessible via Commuter rail (Brandeis/Roberts stop)


                                                              Flyer: Mei-Mei, Brenda, Nicole Rizzo


Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Congrats Raffi on Being Named to a Key Administration Post by President Obama!

News: Raffi Freedman-Gurspan was named to a key Administration post by President Barack Obama on January 16, 2017! The Office of the Press Secretary at the White House shared the news that the President had announced this important appointment to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council.

In speaking of his designees, the President stated: "These fine public servants bring a depth of experience and tremendous dedication to their important roles. I know they will serve the American people well."

Raffi was part of our WGS/BU community when she worked early in her career as Course and Research Assistant with Dr. Brenda Gael McSweeney at Women's & Gender Studies in the area of Gender and International Development.

Mazel tov, Raffi!

Photo courtesy Raffi

Unbound Visual Arts (UVA) hosting Annual Celebration of the Arts on Mardi Gras!


5th Annual Mardi Gras & Celebration of the Arts
When: Fat Tuesday February 28, 2017 6:00 - 10:00 pm

Design & Photo by Aline Martini for Unbound Visual Arts

Where: The Green Briar Restaurant & Pub, Kinvara Room, 
304 Washington St., Brighton, MA 02135 (617) 789-4100 

Art Show & Sale, Light Hors d'oeuvres, Dancing, Silent Auction, Raffle, Slide Show, and lots of free decorations - beads, masks and feathers for everyone! 

featuring Live Music by A Confederacy of Dumpsters

More information here:
http://www.unboundvisualarts.org/mardi-gras-and-carnival-celebration-arts/


Highlights Reel 2015/2016!

Our UNESCO/UNITWIN Highlights Reel for June 2015-Dec. 2016 puts an accent on inter-country and inter-university collaboration. Hope you will enjoy this visual depiction of some of the remarkable achievements of the Network Partners and Affiliates in India, West Africa, and here in Greater Boston, ranging from earning awards to preparing publications and hosting special events.

View the Reel at: https://goo.gl/NsZO7D